Baines Von Grimmas
Baines Von Grimmas Brief Biography Baines Von Grimmas is a Dark Iron Dwarf in a rather dubious (and mainly financially motivated) service with the Alliance. Despite the history rife with conflict between his clan and the Bronzebeards, through a mixture of cunning, deception and bribery he has managed to secure himself a rather turbulent safety wthin Alliance walls. He previously served as a Priest to the Alliance, as Baines was always interested in obscure and forbidden lore, especially lore concerning the Titans and Old Gods. His lust for power and control he contained under the ruse of many seemingly harmless schemes, where his true agenda was hidden. Amongst these the Black Steel Coalition, a Dark Iron industry hidden under the guise of an excavation company, truly concerned with ravaging the land for forbidden runics and incorperating these magics into deadly seige war-machines and constructs. Later on he became the chief director of the Gnomish Gnews Gnetwork co-founded with Willikers Wheezeneeble, a Gnomish Mage. Although the company was a media one, and innocent enough, it probabley wasn't the smartest idea to let Baines handle the money as he embezzled much of the funds and used this oppotunity to make himself look like an ordinary member of the Alliance concerned with more trival matters. Baines' travels and greed eventually lend him to Northrend to follow Brann Bronzebeard and his excavation crew. Baines eventually fled the camp's company after he stole the finds of a dig after murdering the crew there and making the incident appear accidental. Whilst exploring the lands behind the Wrath Gate he was attacked by the Scourge, Baines tried to bargain with one of the living agents in the attacking party, offering his alliance and service in exchange for his life. Baines was taken to Naxxramas where he divulged, through unecessary torture, much information about the alliance (most of which was probabley made up). His knowledge of runes and their powers coupled with his exceptional greed and lust for power intriged his captors, who offered to spare his life and grant him immortality in exchange for eternal service to the Lich King as a Death Knight. Baines agreed without a pause, eager to secure more power and put his advanced knowledge of runics to grim use against his former comrades, although still his only concern was with himself. Like many other Death Knights, Baines was deployed in the Plaguelands in Acheron. Following Darion Mograine's defection Baines took the oppotunity he was looking for to once again defect his previous aides. Once in the safety of Ironforge's walls, he came back and told the League of Explorer's of Brann's progress, and of the "accident" concerning the killed dig site. He also told them he had been tortured but gave up nothing, and stole valuable runic knowledge which he would now serve the Alliance with, despite the grim effects it would have on his own person, leaving out the fact that he willingly became a Death Knight of his own accord to gain more power. He comfrotabley accepted the hero's welcome he got after spinning these tall tales. Baines currently still leads people to believe he serves the Alliance, but ultimatley he is only concerned with his own agenda. He merely seeks the simplest greater safety, and once he has bided his time for long enough concerning his growth into his new Death Knight discipline, he will likely cast off his former allies, again, to pursue his own greedy and dire ends. Demeanour Two words can describe Baines fairly accurately. Greedy and power hungry. Even though most Dark Irons have a knack for being terribly materialistic and addicted to positions of authority, Baines is extreme even by their standards. In his own opinion he can never have enough money, goods, contacts or artefacts of power. Sometimes he's not even sure why he collects these things, as he can't get the use out of everything he finds (although his archeological lore is so vast there are very few trinkets and tomes he cannot put to use for his own ends) but there are people who are willing to part with money or goods that may be. Better that he has these goods than somebody else, is Baines' theory. Baines is gruff, grim and has a rather sick sense of humour. He's a master archeologist, translator, scribe, priest, engineer, spy, interrogator, diplomat and many more tall tales and titles he has cared to spin or lie about. Despite how many are amde up, Baines does have incredible knowledge of ancient lore, runes, engineering, magic and tomes, and how to utilize the dark powers herein in these forsaken things. He doesn't let on this is the case, however, and is a master of disguise and trickery. He'll put on a polite show in his own quite perturbed way to make sure he gets what he wants, but his manner is abrupt. He is not a young or good looking Dwarf at all, so he can't charm people to do what he wants or give him what he wants. But Baines is incredibley cunning and insideously deceptive, this, along with his complete lack of morals means he usually has enough bribes, black deals, threats or contacts to be able to secure what he wants on his behalf. If all this fails, he's not beoynd using physical or magical force to get what he wants, though he generally sees himself as too regal to do such things and will likely have goons do it on his behalf. Appearence Baines is ugly. Dwarves are not the most beautiful creatures but Baines is particularly hideous. A Dark Iron convinced of his nobility (which was probabley forged documents) he takes care to dress well and keeps a neatly trimmed and curled moustache and his hair is embroaided with a fine ponytail. He does this not because he cares what people think of him or his looks, he does not think he is handsome, but rather he is arrogant and thinks himself better than most people he meets so does so as a symbol of his status. His hair is a blackish blue colour and very coarse. His skin is a sickly lifeless colour, greyish blue, his eyes sunk deep in their sockets gleaming with a frozen core betraying the Death Knight powers he commands. He tries to keep this hidden from view in dealings with those who hold it against him. On social occasions he wears fine noble robes, otherwise he wears custom made armour imbued with dark glowing runes and other skittering forsaken Shadow Words imbued over his garb which increase his powers. Combat Baines is not afraid of fighting. Though he spends a great deal of his time using lies, bribes of threats to avoid such situations, he's not adverse to using his own powers to prove his point, and he's very confident of himself. If Baines has any of his goons nearby he'll likely let them rush in first, and expects them to protect him at all costs. They are probabley being paid a king's ransom to be in his company so they'll do so with great zeal. Baines takes this time to assess the situation and plan his next moves. If he thinks any of the attacking party is particularly weak or lacking in confidence he'll strike at them first and try to convince them to flee. He'll also look out for enemies who are providing key support roles and try to disable them or put them out of action. When he was a Priest he'd make extensive use of Mind Control to do this, but as a Death Knight Baines no longer stands back. Once his analysis of the situation is over, he'll go in guns blazing. He does not hold out any of his powers and tries to knock his opponents dead as quick as he can. He goes for healers first to stop they supporting theirs friends and then weaker offensive members who he can dispatch quickly. Baines tries to cause as much carnage as he can to sow chaos into the enemy moral to panic their fighting ability. Baines also employs many engineering devices and tricks in battle to secure an advantage. If a battle is going very badly he'll ask his goons (if any) to distract the opponent and rush inwards causing a diversion whilst Baines escapes. If this is not possible he'll try to disbale the opponents to flee. If he cannot flee Baines pulls out his most powerful spells and attacks to try and kill as many of his agressors as he can, or at least scare them off. If left to flee it is likely Baines will come back for revenge and try to divide up the party members and take care of them indivudally. He tries to emloy this in combat as well, trying to isolate teams to prevent them helping eachother.